Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-07-15
Energy and Perseverance.

WHAT MAY BE ACCOMPLISHED BY THEM.
Col. II. w. Pinckney, in Dirie, a
newspaper published at Atlanta,
Georgia, relates the following incidents,
which came under the writer's own
observation, where success trod closely
on the heel of perseverance and in
dustry:
A man can make living, and also
make money, in hundreds of different
ways in this country, and it is
mighty good thing that this is so, else
over-production would be the rule, not
the exception. l knew man who is
getting rich out of baby swings. It's
a simple, cheap thing to make, and
he started simple and cheap way to
make them, his entire outfit of tools
comprising saws, two saw Der ches, a
draw shave, two hand planes, brace,
some bits and rough work bench.
He didn't stand around with hands in
his pockets waiting for somebody with
capital to come along and boost him.
Not much. He thought these swings
would sell, so he made one and peddled
it round until he found a purchaser.
Then he made another and sold that,
and thus he kept so until finally peo-
pie began to think his swings were a
good thing to have in the family, and
they began to inquire for them. He
started eight years ago, and alone did
all the work Of making and selling
them. Things with him are very
different with him to-day. He has a
shop two stories in height, and ma
chinery for saving, planning, boring,
mortising, turning, and sandpapering
the material entering into the con-
struction of these swings. In that
shop forty men find constant en-
ployment, and, as said before, the
owner is getting rich out of it. Count
ing the wives and children of the
wOrkmen in that shop, there is a pop
ulation of nearly or quite one hum
dred and fifty making living out of
the mans idea that a baby swing
would sell. A baby swing is not
very big thing, but it is in this case
big enough to keep quite little vii
lage busy and comfortable.
A step ladder is a mighty handy
thing to have around the house. Five
years ago three men, by the closest
kind of scraping, twisting, and borrow
ing, managed to get together five hun
dred dollars. They bought some lum-
ber, rugged up circular, or buzz, rip
saw, and started in to make step
ladders. For two years it was
struggle of the hardest kind; sales
had to be made by personal canvass,
prices obtained permitted no margin
of profit, and the outlook was Of such
disc ouraging nature that their friends
and neighbOrs pitied them first, then
prophesied dead failure, and finally
laughed at their folly in sticking by
a losing game. There came a change,
however. A prominent house-furnish-
ing goods firm one day wrote them
for prices of five thousand ladders.
The size Of this possible order very
nearly took them off their feet. They
had sense enough, however, to under
stand that this big house would not
give them the order unless prices
were made away down, so they sat
down and figured the thing over, and
having decided that matter, awaited
the result, which turned in their favor
and they got the order. Then they
went to work; each one took his
coat off and pitched in; they worked
sixteen hours a day until that order
was filled, and it was filled on time,
and each ladder was honestly made.
The only expense they realized was
for lumber, screws, and paint. They
had done all the work themselves.
This was the turning point in their
business career. Within a month
from the delivery of these five thou
sand ladders they had contracted with
the same house for monthly supply
of two thousand five hundred. They
were on their feet now, and began t.
push things. They are turning Out
to-day, with fifteen men, ten thousand
step ladders each month, and have
been doing this for more than q year
A step ladder is a little thing, bu
these men are making money out o
them.
About fifteen years ago, in one o
the big planning mills in Chicago, ,
strip of board catching, in some un
accountable manner, ON buzz saw
was hulled with violence against tn
leg of one of the workmen, breaking
it and badly mangling the flesh. Th
injury resulted in incapacitating tn
man for performing the labor requires
of him in the mill, and he was com
, PEELED to seek other means of livlihood
e A man of fine mechanical attainments
his endeavors very naturally sough
outlet in that direction, SO he bull
after his own ideas, scroll or fire
saw, foot power, and rugged up a sea
, on it, as he was unable to stand fo
any length of time, and began sawin
out and putting together articles fo
household ornament and utility. H
regarded this as simply temporar
means of making living. After
= time he added to his scroll saw
J light boring attachment and then